Duxford to change ownership!

Or do what they should have done in the first place. Put the M11 through a tunnel and give DX the full original length of runway again.

Indeed.

This would still be the easier option……although still enormously costly, as you would have to dig out a bit of the M11 to enable the reqd clear height for ventilation, but a 100m or so of concrete box dropped into a graded out trough with the runway extended over the top is a relatively simple proceedure.

Now all they need is some more land at the other end to get bigger aircraft in there and you would not have to operate anything noisy (F16’s, Typhoon & Vulcan to start with) from off site.

But i agree it is a win win situation.

curlyboy

Or do what they should have done in the first place. Put the M11 through a tunnel and give DX the full original length of runway again.

A few years ago there was an application made to build a service area on the M11, close enough to Dux to compromise flying operations from there. Can anybody confirm that this possibility has been laid to rest, or is there a chance of it reappearing ? (apologies for slight thread creep)

The real possibility of extending Dx’s runway was looked into fairly recently, when Marshalls Aerospace at Cambridge Airport began looking at Dx as a possible site for relocation. But to extend it just to allow bigger or faster types to attend airshows or join the museum would not be financially viable.

Duxford’s biggest problem has always, and will always be the M11 motorway. Not only did it cut off a large slice of land and runway, it created an unnecessary obstacle to an otherwise unobstructed approach and overshoot.!

What? Didn’t they want to sell it for building little boxes on?

Now all they need is some more land at the other end to get bigger aircraft in there and you would not have to operate anything noisy (F16’s, Typhoon & Vulcan to start with) from off site.

But i agree it is a win win situation.

curlyboy

The problem with the other end is the gradient, the land falls away considerably and the amount of fill to build this up to form a runway extension would be huge. It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility to do it, but it would cost a fortune, not even allowing for any land purchase, which I have no doubt the local land owners would take full advantage of.
I reckon a 200m extension to the runway would allow anything to land there, but at what cost, it would probably look pretty wierd as well, we have to have some sympathy for the local planners who would no doubt be appalled at this great earth bank in their treasured Cambs countryside, and I wouldn’t blame them for objecting to it, even if they considered themselves lucky to have DX on their doorstep.

Now all they need is some more land at the other end to get bigger aircraft in there and you would not have to operate anything noisy (F16’s, Typhoon & Vulcan to start with) from off site.

But i agree it is a win win situation.

curlyboy

Now you know what your “Flight line walk” money has been going towards…:D

Looks like a win-win situation all round!:)

🙂 Here is the info
http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/db/pressrel.nsf/729e5777b124350980256b560033a513/d9ffa5b17bc4a3d3802574dd005343b0?OpenDocument

Reference: 642/2008

Author: Glenn Thwaites

Release Date: 09/10/2008

DUXFORD DEAL IS RUN-A-WAY SUCCESS

Cambridgeshire County Council’s long-standing relationship with the Imperial War Museum at Duxford took further flight yesterday (October 7) when Councillors agreed to sell the runway to the national and internationally renowned museum.

A meeting of the County Council’s Cabinet agreed plans to sell 146 acres of land to the Museum for around £1.6 million. The land comprises the grassland to the south of the main hangars/exhibition areas and the hard runway used for takeoff and landing.

The land was transferred to the County Council by the Secretary of State for Defence in 1977, but it has now been declared surplus to the Council’s requirements and sold to the Imperial War Museum, with a first-refusal buy back option should the land be offered for sale again in the future.

County Council Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “The County Council has always enjoyed a very positive and close working relationship with the Imperial War Museum, which is a magnificent resource for Cambridgeshire and also an excellent centre for teaching youngsters in our schools the history of aviation as well as science and technology.

“This area of land is no longer needed by the County Council and we are delighted to have reached an agreement to sell the grassland and runway to the Trustees of the Imperial War Museum, at Duxford.”

Richard Ashton, Director of IWM Duxford, added: “This is an important and historically significant achievement for the Museum. By gaining ownership of the runways and the land around them the IWM has ensured the preservation for future generations of the historic airfield, its heritage and landmark buildings and the wonderful landscape context it is set in. I am grateful for the support shown by Cambridgeshire County Council in bringing this transfer of ownership to fruition. It can only serve to strengthen Duxford’s reputation as the leading centre of heritage aviation in the world.”

Duxford County Councillor Tim Stone, who supported the deal, spoke in favour of the land sale during the Cabinet discussion.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

For further information, contact: Glenn Thwaites in the Press and Public Relations Office on (01223) 699282 or Christian Pratt (at the IWM) on (01223) 499319.

Political contacts: Councillor John Reynolds 07720 379699; Councillor Tim Stone (01223) 836527; Labour spokesman Councillor Martin Ballard (01223) 562737.

Email the Press Office